Chöre der Angekommenen. Indiskrete Platzbefragung.

The Schwabinggrad Ballett, an association of performers, musicians and activists, was founded in Hamburg at the turn of the millennium in order to create unexpected situations beyond ritualised forms of protests. In 2014 the collective began working with activists from the refugee group “Lampedusa in Hamburg”, who later formed the performance group Arrivati. Together Schwabinggrad Ballett and Arrivati have developed interventions in refugee camps, and in September 2016 they released their album “Beyond Welcome”. Their actions and concerts merge agitprop and Afrobeat, epic theatre and pop, Situationism and political task force. In “Chöre der Angekommenen” the two groups have put together to reflect the struggles of refugees in Berlin, which culminated in 2012 with the occupation of Oranienplatz.

Schwabinggrad Ballett and Arrivati conducted interviews with figures from the Oranienplatz occupation, which ended in the infamous evacuation in April 2014. They are trying to do something that happens very rarely in political movements: to draw attention to the contradictions, the absurdities and the temporary failures in the struggle. Schwabinggrad and Arrivati don’t make theatre about politics, but political theatre, a feature that is almost unique to them. They show what happens when you let go of the word theatre in the area of “political theatre”, forming hard rubber tires and wireless speakers from the letters of the word.

During “Chöre der Angekommenen. Indiskrete Platzbefragung“ video recordings will be made, some of which may be used for publicity purposes.
By attending the performances, you are declaring your agreement to this.
23.06.2017
Indiskrete Platzbefragung: Demonstration IStarting time: 8 p.m. Meeting point: Kottbusser Tor / in front of Südblock / Demonstration towards Oranienplatz. Any commemoration of the occupation of Oranienplatz seems to be risky business in Berlin’s public offices. At any rate, Schwabinggrad Ballett & Arrivati didn’t succeed in getting official permission to hold their “indiscreet site survey” at O-Platz. How to deal with this “Njet!”? Turn adversity into virtue: Schwabinggrad and Arrivati are going on the streets to demonstrate what they have to say and show. Those who stay on the sidelines only have themselves to blame, everybody else can join in! Structures, instruments, flags and other mobile tools have to be pushed through Kreuzberg.
No camps, no deportation, no compulsory residency, and also: Always these contradictions! HAU Hebbel am Ufer calls on everyone to participate in the demonstration.

"Oranienplatz they couldn’t take over / So they said: ‘Let’s talk it over,’ says O-Platz activist Mahop. “When they’re afraid, they suggest negotiations. When they don’t offer negotations, that means: You’re not strong enough.” O-Platz activist Katia says: “When people see me they say: O my God, here she comes again, the lady with a hundred hopeless cases on her shoulders. I’d better walk the other way!” On the second day Schwabinggrad Ballett, Arrivati and the audience are marching through Kreuzberg in the form of a demonstration. To recreate a protest and resistance movement at Oranienplatz! HAU Hebbel am Ufer calls on everyone to participate in the demonstration.

25.06.2017

Starting time: 3 p.m. Location: Mariannenplatz. Durational performance and collective stay.On the third day the speeches and music of the demonstration will be combined into the performance “Chöre der Angekommenen. Indiskrete Platzbefragung“ and presented at Mariannenplatz. 590 meters away from Oranienplatz and at a space the carries its own cultural and political nostalgia (“Mariannenplatz was blue / There were so many cops there” sang Ton Steine Scherben once), the drama around the occupation and evacuation of O-Platz will come into full bloom. Since they don’t have to demonstrate on the third evening, the performers are free to make music or dance.

To wrap up their project Schwabinggrad Ballet and Arrivati are taking over HAU1. The groups will perform an adaptation of the outdoor performance “Chöre der Angekommenen. Indiskrete Platzbefragung”. What happens on stage will be framed by an audio installation and songs by Schwabinggrad Ballett and Arrivati.